Learn how to re-grow food from scraps!
Getting Stared: Seeding Spring Crops Indoors
Brassica Pests: Solutions (Part 2 of 2)
Once you have identified which pest is attacking your brassica crops, then you can work towards managing the problem. In this case, most of the treatments are very similar for all 3 kinds of caterpillars.
Brassica Pests: Identification (Part 1 of 2)
Friend or Foe: What You Didn't Know About Weeds
Weeding is one of the most essential tasks in gardening, and the job is never done. These backyard “volunteers” always seem to find a way to thrive. Knowing your weeds can help you out. Some weeds are tricky to combat and can really hurt your plants, but others can be quite useful. Knowing these things can help lessen your load and maybe even bring a little something extra to your garden. This video will focus on a few different weeds and how they might affect your garden.
Get Started: Building your Garden’s Tool Kit
These simple steps will help keep your tools in good shape and last longer. It is important to clean and sanitize tools that have been used on sick plants to prevent the spread of diseases to healthy plants. Sharp tools are safer to use and make cleaner cuts that avoid damaging plants and making them susceptible to pests or disease.
A Beginner’s Guide to Comfrey & Echinacea for Gardening and Healing
By Shannon Haubrich, Leadership in Urban Agriculture Internship, Summer III 2020
COMFREY
(Symphytum officinale)
Native to Europe, western Asia
Perennial
Comfrey digs very deep roots which absorb and redistribute nutrients in soil, which makes it an incredible ‘chop and drop’ fertilizer. It shades surrounding plants, acting as a living mulch, and when chopped, the plant breaks down, adding the absorbed nutrients back into the soil. Comfrey attracts pollinators, too!
MEDICINAL USES
Encourages wound healing
Diminishes scarring
Relieves arthritis and general muscle/joint pain
Provides healing for digestive ulcers
Eyewash for irritated eyes
*Take caution and research before using topically on an open wound or ingesting! Comfrey may re-bind skin and tissue too quickly, or seal in existing infection. It is also argued that comfrey, when ingested, can be harmful to the liver. Many people ingest comfrey in small amounts, but do plenty of research and ingest only if you feel safe.
COMFREY OIL RECIPE
Harvest comfrey leaves and allow them to dry overnight or in a dehydrator. Fill a glass jar halfway with the leaves, then cover with good-quality oil (cold-processed olive and/or coconut oils work well). Cover tightly, and let sit 4-6 weeks, occasionally giving the jar a light swirl/stir. After 4-6 weeks, strain out the herbs, and use the oil for topical application of comfrey as needed.
ECHINACEA
(two common species are E. purpurea & E. angustifolia)
Native to North America
Perennial
Echinacea grows abundantly in Missouri! It attracts many pollinators like butterflies, predatory wasps, and pollinating flies, making it a great companion for certain vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. Echinacea is also known to attract the goldfinch, which is lovely to see and friendly to garden fertilization.
MEDICINAL USES
Healing for wounds, bites, and stings
Immune support (take with raw, organic garlic for a powerful kick to viral infections)
Strengthens and clears lymph nodes
Powerful against infections, internal or external (i.e. bladder, ear)
Can be used as a pain reliever (Echinacea’s numbing effect makes it useful for dental pain)
ECHINACEA TEA RECIPE
Harvest any leaves, flowers, or roots you’d like to use in your tea (or use dried, store-bought echinacea). Boil water, pour over echinacea, and let steep for 15 minutes. This long steep time allows the medicinal properties to be extracted, especially from the plant’s thick roots.
How to Make a Milk Crate Garden
Get Started: Building Healthy Soil
Regenerative Agriculture is at the forefront of sustainability and climate resiliency in our food system. This is a set of principles and practices based on restoring our soils, watersheds, and biodiversity in our ecosystems. These practices also capture carbon in soil to mitigate atmospheric carbon and build resilience to climate change.